We’ve officially completed the first leg of our Mediterranean excursion. During the first month of A Taste of the Mediterranean, bloggers from around the world submitted their own spins on the classic pesto Genovese.  The entries were creative and unique, all while keeping true to the concept of what an authentic pesto should be.  Choosing one pesto from the entire bunch was not easy (but it was an enjoyable process). Here you’ll find a list of all the pesto variations that were submitted.  

The winner for this month calls herself a “newbie food blogger,” but she is certainly no newbie in the kitchen.  Erinn, a fourth generation Cali girl and blogger for Sunday Dish, shared her spin on the recipe by making a Basil, Sun Dried Tomato & Hazelnut Pesto.  It was out of this world!  For some reason I had never thought to use hazelnuts in pesto, but the flavor combination was spot on.  The nutty undertone from the toasted hazelnuts complemented the other ingredients, and presented a sophisticated take on the usual pine nuts or walnuts.  The tiny bit of lemon juice that she added was just enough to heighten the freshness of all the ingredients and tie all the flavors together.  I can continue to tease you with luscious descriptions of her recipe, but the best description you’ll get is by whipping up a batch yourself.  Erinn also went on to show how versatile pesto can be by making three different dishes centered around her ultimate sauce: Fusilli Lunghi Bucati Con Pesto, Grilled Chicken Marinated with Pesto and Pesto Crostini.

Congratulations again, Erinn!!

Cheers, 
Tony

Click on the stamp to find out more information about this event and how to enter to win this month’s prizes!

event: A Taste of the Mediterranean

deadline: July 15, 2008

recipe: Hummus

Adjusting to the “real world” routine of waking up early, going to work and having no time for naps has been a painful transition.  I’m a believer of the nap, also formally known as the siesta.  There’s just something magical about eating a hearty meal (especially pasta) and napping immediately after.  Otherwise, the transition into the real world hasn’t been too bad.  I finally got around to unpacking most of my things and have had lots of fun reading through the pesto submissions for the first month of A Taste of the Mediterranean.  I even got around to making a quick video yesterday after work.

This month, A Taste of the Mediterranean is showcasing the unique flavors of the Middle East through one of its most popular dishes, hummus.  Traditionally, hummus is made with chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, tahini and is served with an abundance of freshly baked pita bread to dip with.  

(click here for a thumbnail version of the stamp)

Blog about your creative spin on hummus for a chance to win a $30 gift certificate to Dayna’s Market.  For the purposes of the contest, a hummus will be considered as any sort of legume processed with a citrus.  The rest is fair game and is up for culinary interpretation.  I look forward to reading and sharing hummus ideas with everyone.  Below are the three hummus recipes that I blogged about on my first post, Ode to the humble chickpea. 

ATOM: A Taste of the Mediterranean

If it weren’t for the whole making-a-living part of life, I would spend all my days traveling the world without even giving it a second thought.  Unfortunately, making a living seems to be one of the cruel prerequisites to my globe-trotting dreams; so, until then, I travel when I get the chance and often resort to cooking to fulfill the rest of my curiosity.

This past month I thought of an idea that would be awesome to do with all the fellow food bloggers out there.  Let’s travel around the Mediterranean!  I know!  Why didn’t I think of this before?  My type of travel doesn’t require any sort of luggage or even a passport, just a hearty appetite for Med deliciousness.  We’ll taste it all; from the Portuguese influences present in Spanish cuisine to the earthy undertones unique in North African fare. 

The project has been appropriately titled, A Taste of the Mediterranean.  Each month I will feature a different culinary region from the Mediterranean (French, Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern, North African and Spanish) along with an appropriate regional recipe.  This is where the traveling comes in.  The challenge will be to blog about your own spin on that particular recipe (or technique) for a chance to win that month’s grand prize.

Each challenge will also come with a unique stamp that all participants can use to decorate their blogs with!   If you need a smaller version of the stamp for your blog, click here.  Participate each month and collect them all!

Pesto with my Italian Double

What better place is there to start our Mediterranean excursion than in Italy?  The challenge for this month is based on the classic Pesto Genovese!  The sky’s the limit on the type of pesto you choose to make, so long as it follows the basic nut-cheese-garlic-oil combo.  All entries must be submitted (i.e. posted) by June 15th in order to be eligible to win that month’s prize. 

In the mean time, I leave you with a Pesto video I made with my Italian Double, Paolo.  I look forward to reading all the amazing pesto ideas everyone has to share!

Cheers,

Tony

All the rules & regs are posted here.

These are a couple of my favorite pestos: 

• Spinach Walnut Pesto (aka Pasta alla Zarina)
• Avocado Pesto